Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” – Acts 1:6
Right before Jesus went back to heaven, His disciples asked one last question: “Lord, is now the time You’ll restore the kingdom to Israel?”
They were still thinking about politics, power, and national glory. For centuries, Israel had waited for freedom and restoration. Now, even after the resurrection, the disciples were hoping Jesus would finally overthrow Rome.
What they couldn’t grasp is that Jesus’ kingdom was bigger. It wasn’t tied to borders, governments, or timing. The kingdom had already broken into the world through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It was both present and future. As R.C. Sproul once noted, “Yes, the consummation of the kingdom is still in the future, but the reality of the kingdom is now.”
That’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” His reign is real today. He is already King of kings and Lord of lords.
We still long for the day when His kingdom is seen in all its fullness. But until then, we live in the tension – the kingdom as already come, and yet it is still coming.
The good news? Jesus is already on the throne.
Former Blackout Artist 